Public Utilities Commission hosting hearing on Emera’s proposed 12 percent rate hike

Electrical utility workers lift one of the new poles into place on Main Street in Mapleton in January 2018 as part of an Emera Maine project to improve the quality of transmission lines from Presque Isle to the Mapleton substation on the Hughes Road. The orange material on the new pole is a temporary dielectric insulation to prevent accidental conduction of electricity during the pole’s installation. (Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Maine Public Utilities Commission is asking for consumers to share their thoughts at a public hearing on Emera Maine’s proposed 12 percent increase in its distribution costs and on its response to last fall’s wind storm.

The PUC’s public witness hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday May 1, at the University of Maine Presque Isle’s Campus Center.

Last fall, Emera Maine filed a proposed rate hike with the PUC that would seek to raise its annual electricity distribution revenue by 12 percent, or an additional $10.1 million.

For residential power customers, the proposed rate change would come with an overall increase of 4 to 5 percent, or an additional $3.60 a month for the average household.

The PUC is holding multiple hearings on the rate increase and expects to issue a decision in June.

In its proposal, Emera Maine says the rate increase is needed to cover capital costs and investments in system reliability, such as tree trimming.

Judy Long, Emera Maine communications specialist, said that the company is seeking to change its electricity distribution rate, which is one of five components of the utility billing.

“We expect changes to a number of rate components this year, and the net impact is yet to be determined,” Long said in an email. “We are open to any discussion that provides an opportunity to improve service to our customers. We aim for continuous improvement and take the guidance of our regulator and stakeholders very seriously.”

The hearings, which also are scheduled in Orono and Machias on the same day, are being held at the suggestion of the PUC’s Office of the Public Advocate. The Office of the Public Advocate also suggested that the PUC take testimony on Emera’s response to the October 2017 wind storm and its request to seek $7 million in storm-related costs, in addition to the new proposed changes.

The Maine chapter of the AARP has mounted a campaign against the proposed rate hike with the slogan, “Raise your voice before they raise your rates.”

In a press release, the AARP noted that this proposal would be the third rate increase from Emera within the last five years, with an 8.6 percent increase approved in 2013 and a 3.7 percent increase approved in 2015.